Some Thoughts Related to the Ethical Seduction of the Analytic Encounter: A Commentary on ‘A Man Who Was Tied up’

Working on the basis of the written narrative of excerpts from five years of analysis, I was invited to construct my comment by putting myself as much as possible in my analytic chair and trying to convey my personal analytic experience as elicited by the written material. Susann Heenen-Wolff's narrative succeeded in picturing the intense, intimate analytic encounter of the unique analytic couple she formed with her patient, as it was experienced, dreamed, retraced and remembered in the mind and body of the analyst. I found, however, my mission to be a very complex one, both scientifically and ethically. ‘Eize hutzpah!!’ (‘How insolent!’) is the expression that I feel best expresses my present conflictual effort at trying to give form to my associations regarding the story of Mr B's analysis with Susann. I wish to apologize for such hutzpah and thank her for the opportunity she gave me to ‘play along’ with her, hoping my playing can be useful and enriching for our respective work.

Mr B comes to treatment complaining about a lack of vitality. Since adolescence, he feels that “parts in [himself] are dead”. He reports that he “nearly does not dream” and I think to myself that he probably wishes he could. He has no memories of his childhood. I think that he knows he once had memories and that he is telling me they are not really out of reach. He has been able to marry, he has a young son and he takes care of him as well as of the housework. He goes on reporting that he heard from his mother that he was a very vivid boy in his youth. I think that he is obviously identifying with an ideal mother and that, presently, he and his mother have a quite close relationship, maybe reinforced lately by the presence of Mr B's son. Then, in a quite transparent way he confesses to ‘me’– the female analyst he chooses to consult — that he is ashamed of his male desires, considering them an offence to women. Is he afraid he will hurt me he if he starts desiring me too much? As Mr B is pre